Lot 566
British East Africa, India 1882-90, ½a Blue Green + 1a Plum + 2a Blue + 8a Mauve, Four Singles + 1r Slate, all but first with red manuscript "B.E.A." provisional overprint, on oversized registered cover to the Eastern Telegraph Co. in London, England, all tied by "Mombasa, Au 20, 90" cds's paying the 11x 4½a rate to the U.K. plus 2a registry fee, matching "R" in oval handstamp and red London oval date stamp additionally tying ½a, reverse with Aden transit date stamp; some light cover wrinkling and a couple vertical fold not affecting stamps, Very Fine, one of the two earliest usages of the six covers recorded during the first period of use, ex-Col. Rose-Hutchinson, Hunt, Reynard, Krieger.SG No. Z1-Z2+Z4+Z7-Z8 Estimate $20,000 - 30,000.
A UNIQUE AND COLORFUL FIVE COLOR COMBINATION FRANKING OF INDIA STAMPS PROVISIONALLY USED IN MOMBASA.
The Eastern Telegraph Co. was laying underwater cable between Mombasa and Lamu during this time and just previous had the same between Zanzibar and Mombasa.
Realized: $18,000